PortugalRui Braganca won the men's under 58kg category title ©Getty Images

Portugal’s Rui Braganca and Great Britain’s Charlie Maddock claimed the men’s under 58kg and women’s under 49kg titles respectively here today to secure their countries’ second gold medals of the inaugural European Games.

Braganca overcame Jesus Tortosa Cabrera from neighbouring Spain, winning 6-5 in his final.

Maddock defeated Serbia’s Tijana Bogdanovic in a tight  showdown that was settled by a golden point.

Despite injuring his knee in the gold medal match, Braganca managed to stay focused against his teenage opponent to follow up Portugal’s success in the table tennis team event yesterday.

“It is amazing winning here because it is a bigger event than the normal European Championships with all the other sports,”  he said.

“Portugal doesn't have a very big team.

“We don't have many supporters, but the atmosphere was great.”

Great Britain's Charlie Maddock took the women's under 49kg crown
Great Britain's Charlie Maddock took the women's under 49kg crown ©Getty Images

Meanwhile, Maddock found herself tied at 9-9 with Bogdanovic after the initial three rounds but secured an early punch in the fourth to add a second gold to Team GB’s tally following Gordon Benson's triumph in the men's triathlon on Sunday (June 14). 

The 19-year-old took an early lead in the contest before racing into a 7-1 advantage, however, Bogdanovic responded well and led 9-8 in final round – the only time Maddock had been behind during the Games – before the Briton’s golden point swung the fight in her favour.

“I just feel overwhelmed,” said Maddock.

“I put so much hard work into getting into the semis but to win the final is just the icing on the cake.

“I feel I put everything into that fight so it’s great to come out on top."

The bronze medals in the men’s under 58kg went to Belgium’s Si Mohamed Ketbi and Germany’s Levent Tuncat at the expense of Azerbaijan's Mahammad Mammadov and Serbia’s Milos Gladovic.

As for the women’s under 49kg, Croatia’s Lucija Zaninovic and Azerbaijan’s Patimat Abakarova rounded off the podium with Hungary’s Ivett Gonda and Italy’s Erica Nicoli just missing out.

The taekwondo action is due to continue at the same venue tomorrow with the women’s under 57kg and men’s under 68kg categories taking centre stage.


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